Abstract of the Offer
UK SME offering a software platform that tracks metal powder genealogy, condition and usage across additive manufacturing. Designed for aerospace/space quality assurance and NetZero goals, it provides secure on‑site data capture and AI-assisted decision support for reuse, segregation and compliance. Seeking pilot users, licensing/commercial agreements and co‑development to qualify the platform for space‑grade workflows
Description
This technology is a software platform that establishes a digital thread for metal powder used in additive manufacturing. It ingests events and measurements from across the powder lifecycle, receipt, testing, conditioning, storage, blending, charging, build usage, recovery and disposal, then associates them with parts, machines and processes to enable full genealogy and auditability.
Functions it performs (what it does):
• Captures and timestamps powder movements and state changes;
• Associates lots/batches with builds and resulting parts to maintain genealogy;
• Normalizes laboratory and in‑process measurements into a consistent data model;
• Provides rule-based and AI-assisted decision support for material disposition;
• Exposes dashboards and APIs for quality records, reporting and interoperability with MES/ERP/LIMS.
Enabling technical concept (how it works):
The platform uses modular connectors to collect data from existing enterprise systems and shop‑floor devices. A standardised data model aligns powder attributes, process events and test results. Records are stored in a tamper‑evident way to support audit trails, while on‑premise deployment keeps operational data within the customer site. Analytical services derive insights such as genealogy reconstruction and risk flags; these operate on aggregated metadata, avoiding disclosure of underlying proprietary parameters.
Potential applications:
Aerospace and space manufacturing lines using metal AM; powder suppliers and service bureaux needing end‑to‑end traceability; defence and high‑reliability sectors; industrial R&D lines establishing digital qualification datasets for new materials and processes.
Advantages and Innovations
Innovations
• End‑to‑end powder genealogy linking every lot/batch to parts and process history.
• On‑premise, security‑first architecture with tamper‑evident audit support.
• AI‑assisted decision support for reuse/segregation and anomaly awareness.
• Standards‑aware data model to ease aerospace/space compliance evidence generation.
• Designed to enable NetZero‑aligned material stewardship (reuse optimisation, waste visibility).
Advantages vs. prevailing alternatives
• Replaces spreadsheet/manual logs with structured, queryable records, improves audit readiness and reduces clerical effort.
• Improves confidence in powder reuse by combining test data, usage cycles and context, reducing unnecessary disposal while maintaining quality margins.
• Creates a persistent digital thread across suppliers, builds and parts, facilitating nonconformance investigations and faster root‑cause analysis.
• Integrates with existing IT/OT systems, no rip‑and‑replace of equipment or enterprise software.